Hottest Cities in the US
75 major US metros, ranked by average daily high — from the 1991–2020 climate normals. Every city links to its full climate profile.
The hottest major city in the US is Phoenix, AZ, at 87°F average daily high. McAllen, TX ranks second at 86°F. Below, all 75 metros are ranked — tap any city to open its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.
Hottest US cities — top 30
How the hottest cities compare
Across the 75 largest US metros with full climate records, average daily high ranges from 87°F in Phoenix, AZ down to 55°F in Minneapolis, MN — the bottom of this leaderboard. The bars above are scaled to that spread, so the gap between the leader and the pack is visible at a glance.
These are 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use — so they reflect the temperature a place typically runs across the year, not any single hot or cold day. The ranking covers the largest U.S. metros only.
Frequently asked
- What is the hottest city in the US?
- Among the 75 major US metros in this ranking, Phoenix, AZ is the hottest, with 87°F average daily high based on the 1991–2020 climate normals. McAllen, TX is second at 86°F. Each city in the list links to its full climate profile.
- How is the hottest city ranked?
- Cities are ranked by average daily high (in degrees Fahrenheit), highest first. The figures come from the 1991–2020 climate normals, computed from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo. It covers 75 of the largest US cities, not every town in the country.
- How does Phoenix compare to the rest of the list?
- Phoenix, AZ tops the list at 87°F average daily high, while Minneapolis, MN sits at the other end with 55°F. The gap between them shows how wide the spread is across major US cities. Click any city to see its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.
- Is Phoenix hotter than anywhere else in the US?
- By average daily high across the year, Phoenix, AZ leads this ranking of major metros at 87°F. Average high is a better "how hot is it really" measure than a single record day, because it reflects the heat you live with month after month rather than one extreme afternoon. The most-extreme-heat ranking ranks cities by their single hottest day instead.
More US climate rankings
- Coldest cities in the US
- Rainiest cities in the US
- Driest cities in the US
- Snowiest cities in the US
- Fastest-Warming cities in the US
- Most Extreme-Heat cities in the US
Or browse every city’s full profile in the city climate hub — weather by month, rainfall, all-time records, and the warming trend for 75 major US metros.